Seems like EcoRAM might be a viable short term solution given that we're basically talking about data mining? 32GBs of memory(probably close to double that at 45nm) could bring memory a lot closer/faster to the CPU/GPU.

Seeking to generate cash, loss-ridden Hynix recently said it plans to sell a small stake in its Chinese joint fab venture to Numonyx B.V. for $100 million, according to reports. : eetimes.com

Cuts jobs & salaries, shuts 200mm fabs, while opening a new 300mm NAND fab. Who knows, maybe 100m is too much for Numonyx given the current situation. They now might have a one time opportunity to survive Spansion because of better financial situation.

Tessara requested a full review of the ITC ruling that judged against the patent lawsuit they had filed against Spansion and a string of other memory companies.

From Buggi's presentations: Samsung will use High K, metal gate for 3x nm. The amount of solutions they got in the various segments is simply staggering. Still they don't break out their NOR share, probably because it is small and not worth focussing on. Phase change and other novel technologies are not discussed to any significant extent; solutions, marketshare in their main segments, and trends are.

The Rating Outlook is Negative. Approximately $1.3 billion of debt securities are affected by Fitch's actions. The downgrade and Negative Rating Outlook reflect Fitch's belief that there is a real possibility Spansion will default over the near-term, due to a combination of a challenging macroeconomic environment and the company's weak liquidity position. Fitch believes Spansion's survival over the next 12 months will depend upon a combination of better than expected demand and pricing environment, ability to renew the RCF in Japan, obtain a line of credit related to the ARS settlement, and asset sales.

This anticipated cash usage will erode Spansion's already weak liquidity, which as of Sept. 28, 2008 was supported by approximately $152 million of cash and cash equivalents and approximately $100 million of availability under various credit facilities. The company also has approximately $125 million of debt amortization and approximately $60 million due under capital leases through the end of 2009. Furthermore, as of Sept. 28, 2008, approximately $75 million was outstanding under the company's Spansion Japan revolving credit facility (RCF), expiring in December 2009. This facility comprises approximately $50 million of the aforementioned $100 million of the company's available credit, and the terms and conditions of the related credit agreement provide for annual renewal. In addition, Spansion has approximately $38.4 million available under the U.S. RCF. However, Fitch expects availability will be reduced by the facility's borrowing base roughly commensurate with anticipated sales declines.

Cash balances exclude approximately $107 million of auction rate securities (ARS) classified as marketable securities that Fitch considers illiquid at present. However, the ARS portfolio could provide additional liquidity, as the company has the opportunity to participate in a settlement with UBS providing for the repurchase of these securities beginning in June 2010. Spansion is in discussions with lenders regarding a line of credit against the anticipated settlement of up to 75% of market value of the ARS portfolio.

Fitch believes further negative rating actions could be driven by: faster than anticipated erosion of cash balances, driven by weaker than expected operating results; or the company's inability to bolster liquidity via refinancing the RCF in Japan, securing the ARS-related line of credit, or selling assets.

The ratings could be stabilized if: operating results meaningfully outperform Fitch's current expectations, resulting in at worst modest cumulative cash burn through at least the end of 2009; and the company successfully renews its RCF in Japan, obtains the ARS-related funding, and receives meaningful proceeds from asset sales.

Total debt as of Sept. 30, 2008 was approximately $1.6 billion and consisted primarily of: i) approximately $272 million outstanding under Spansion Japan's, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Spansion Inc., senior secured credit facility expiring Dec. 16, 2010; ii) approximately $55 million outstanding under Spansion Inc.'s $175 million senior secured RCF expiring Sept. 19, 2010, the availability of which has been reduced by a combination of a lower borrowing base and $35 million due to EBITDA levels falling below prescribed minimum levels; iii) approximately $75 million outstanding under Spansion Japan's senior secured RCF expiring Dec. 28, 2009; iv) approximately $625 million of floating rate senior secured notes due 2013; v) approximately $225 million of 11.25% senior unsecured notes due 2016; vi) $207 million of 2.25% exchangeable senior subordinated debentures due 2016; and vii) approximately $80 million of other debt, including capital leases.

The Recovery Ratings (RR) and notching reflect Fitch's expectation that Spansion's enterprise value, and hence recovery rates for its creditors, will be maximized as a going concern rather than as in liquidation under a distressed scenario, although the difference between the two continues to shrink. Fitch's analysis assumes Spansion ability to draw against its bank credit facilities will remain constrained by covenants, reducing availability under its U.S. RCF by $35 million due to EBITDA falling below prescribed levels, as well as the current borrowing base. Fitch has reduced the discount to operating EBITDA (in estimating distressed operating EBITDA)to 0% from 25% due to Fitch's expectations that Spansion's profitability will decline meaningfully in the fourth quarter, resulting in an already distressed operating EBITDA amount of approximately $210 million for the full fiscal year of 2008.

Fitch believes $800 million of rated senior secured debt, including $625 million of senior secured floating rate notes and a fully drawn $175 million U.S. revolving bank credit facility, will recover 51%-70% in a reorganization scenario, resulting in a 'RR3' recovery rating. A waterfall analysis provides 0% recovery for the approximately $225 million of rated senior unsecured debt and $207 million of senior subordinated notes, both resulting in a recovery rating of 'RR6'.

Fitch's rating definitions and the terms of use of such ratings are available on the agency's public site, www.fitchratings.com. Published ratings, criteria and methodologies are available from this site, at all times. Fitch's code of conduct, confidentiality, conflicts of interest, affiliate firewall, compliance and other relevant policies and procedures are also available from the 'Code of Conduct' section of this site. The issuer did not participate in the rating process other than through the medium of its public disclosure.

Flash fabs to close for holiday season Fewer memories this Christmas By Sylvie Barak Tuesday, 16 December 2008, 09:51 FLASH MEMORY MAKERS Sandisk and Toshiba are obviously not feeling too flush with cash at the moment and have decided to temporarily shut up shop at several of their manufacturing facilities in Japan.

The 300mm Fab 3 and Fab 4 in Yokkaichi, joint ventures between Sandisk and Tosh, will be taking a 13 day holiday between December 31st and January 12th, only to resume again afterwards at 70 per cent of production capacity.

Tosh is also expected to put a four-day halt to production at its 200mm Fab 1 and Fab 2 in Yokkaichi between December 31st and January 3rd.

But it won't be just flash getting a Christmas break from the memory glut, Toshiba says it's also going to halt production of SoCs, CMOS image sensors, analog ICs, power ICs and small signal ICs for various periods of time too.

Its Oita factory will be closing its doors between December 24th and January 14th, the Kitakyushu fabs will be closed from December 25th to January 18th and the Himeji fabs can enjoy a break from December 20th to January 6th.

Spansion has announced that 65nm 3-volt 512Mb and 1Gb high density MirrorBit NOR solutions are now in production at the company's flagship 300mm SP1 facility, with initial shipments made to customers earlier [next] quarter. digitimes.com

"We look forward to working together to offer the Spansion MirrorBit NOR GL family of 3V Flash memory and the Spansion MirrorBit SPI FL family of serial Flash memory to Mouser's broad base of customers." electropages.com

The above two articles might be related.

Below a completely different subject; a small comment on Spansion's lawsuit against Samsung:

Separately, the U.S. International Trade Commission said it is investigating whether more than a dozen companies are violating tariff rules by importing flash memory chips and products containing flash memory chips that allegedly infringe on patents held by Spansion Inc. of Sunnyvale, Calif.: money.cnn.com